Last Saturday, Rescue Ranch attended the D&S Harley Davidson Second Annual Howl-O-Ween Pet Day & Adoption Event in Medford, OR. The family event was well-attended by dog and animal lovers of all kinds. Some came in costume, some brought their pets, everybody had fun.
Several Pet Day Adoptions for Rescue Ranch!
Our smaller puppies occupied an ex-pen indoors under the watchful eye of volunteers.
Other helpers manned a table outside near our larger dogs and lab-mix puppies. That’s where I found Adoption Center Manager Rick Formanek walking Moose, an absolute love of a shepherd mix. Meanwhile, Coco showed off her cuddliness and secret desire to become a lap dog. Handsome young Fig posed proudly with his red bandana.
Brocade and Georgie, as well as puppies Mickey, Mystery and Toodles all received applications as a result of Howl-O-Ween Pet Day! Happily, Coco found her person a few days later. Fig and Moose are still looking, though. They’re such good boys, we hope they’ll find homes soon.
Some attendees brought their dogs to the event, in and out of costume.
Among these, was Stephanie who adopted one of 27 hoarded Pomchis from Rescue Ranch last year. Our girl, Maddy, aka Ruffles, looked so cute in her tutu. Stephanie then recounted the most remarkable story. Shortly after her adoption, the cheeky pup slipped out of her collar and disappeared during a camping trip at Squaw Lake. Stephanie searched for days without success. She was devastated. Then, 16 days later, a woman running the Pine to Palm Endurance Run came across the wayward Pomchi, took her home, and posted on social. The rest is history. Rescued twice, talk about a miracle dog!
Meet the other participants
Street Dog Project
When I asked board president Laurie Cuddy about their work, she explained that Street Dog has been providing winter coats, spay/neuter services, vaccines, and other support to pet owners living in poverty for over 10 years. They’ve spay/neutered 300 dogs in 2023 alone! By the way, they’re currently looking for an animal-loving volunteer with photography and content skills (contact: 541-816-6374).
Hero Tails Animal Sanctuary
Hero Tails attended with several great dogs. One sweetie took a crate break and enjoyed a visit from his foster brother, a smartly dressed dachshund.
Melly Cat
It was a good pet day for Melly Cat who placed several cats on Saturday. All of their kitties were adorable and full of that trademark feline catitude.
Goliath Mountain Rescue
Goliath Mountain Rescue set up outside with a number of gorgeous huskies. According to board-member Sherri James, the 15-year-old rescue caters almost exclusively to two highly specialized breed types: German shepherd and husky.
Raffle, silent auction, and local businesses round off a great Pet Day
In the store, raffle and silent auction prizes were beautifully laid out on tables at the center of the action, tempting visitors as they strolled by. Rescue Ranch volunteers Sue and Bill (and Trixie) Doron sold raffle tickets, gave out candy, and chatted with visitors at a nearby table.
Local businesses also lent their support to the event, including our friends from Red Dog Pet Supply, Jacksonville. Amanda Adams co-owner of Figaro’s Pizza, Phoenix, was serving up slices again this year. The communuity-minded pizzeria, which is also highly supportive of local school sports programs, was also collecting donations for new cheerleader uniforms.
Dog trainer Skyler Lynch of Top Dog Behavior & Training had set up a fun interactive display with special deals and informational materials. And newcomers to the region, husband and wife dog training team Gueseppe & Becky of Companion Canine, took the opportunity to introduce themselves and their training options to the community.
As I was leaving, I stopped to speak with the folks at the Shampooch van, which was quite busy by then. The mobile dog grooming business is entirely self-contained, so they’re also able to meet clients from outside their regular service area at a mutually convenient location.
A big thank you to Kim O’Toole of D&S Harley Davidson for inviting Rescue Ranch to participate again this year!
